DEATH BY SUGAR?

A worldwide study links the consumption of sugary drinks to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year; 25,000 of those are Americans.

 

The study, published in the journal Circulation, surveyed over 600,000 people globally.

 

The study included sugary beverages like sodas, fruit drinks, energy drinks and sweetened iced teas.

 

What’s the breakdown by cause of these 184,000 deaths yearly? Looks like 33,000 deaths from diabetes, 45,000 from cardiovascular disease and 6,450 from cancer.

 

About three-fourths of the deaths due to sugary drinks were in developing countries. The U.S., with 125 deaths per million adults ranked fourth, behind Mexico (#1), South Africa and Morocco.

 

How much more warning do we need as a country? We are fourth on the list with more deaths per year than Britain, France, Spain and Italy combined!!!!

 

All of this sugar talk reminds me of something taught in my second year of medical school biochemistry class. Our DNA can only withstand a certain amount of insult – meaning oxidative damage – over time. Overall caloric intake inevitably leads to this damage and that’s partly why we only live so long.

 

Sugar is the easiest way to rack up oxidative damage to our cells on a molecular level. In other words, the more sugar, the more extra, “empty” calories that damage our cells. Over time, that means death.

 

You don’t have to take this information and eliminate all sugar from your diet. A great first step is looking at where you may be consuming unnecessary sugar, and sugary drinks are likely the culprits for most people in our country.

 

 

One can of coke has 39 grams of sugar – all 140 calories of the can comes from sugar! Think Ginger Ale is low in sugar? One can has 32 grams of sugar. A “Big Gulp” of Coke at 7-Eleven has 91 grams of sugar, giving you a whopping 492 calories!

 

To put these numbers in perspective, the maximum amount of added sugar one should have in a day ranges from 25 to 37 grams, depending on which association’s recommendation you go by.

 

Try swapping your Coke for 100% fruit juice at first. If you like the carbonation, there are lots of flavored seltzers available.

 

If you don’t already do so, start drinking a large glass of water before every meal. Swap the juice you may be having often for water! Make a pitcher of water with fruit in it for add flavor as often as you like!

 

Little steps are how big change is made. I’m not saying it’s easy, but I’m saying we need to do something. Fourth in the world for deaths due to sugary drinks is pretty sad for a developed country like ours.